Chennai Metro Prepares 15 Driverless Trains for Poonamallee to Vadapalani Route

Chennai Metro officials are preparing 15 driverless trains to operate at 10-minute intervals on the new Phase-2 corridor between Poonamallee Bypass and Vadapalani. The 14.6-kilometre line is currently awaiting its official inauguration, nearly five months after receiving safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS).

To facilitate the launch of passenger services, Chennai Metro has been assembling its fleet at the Poonamallee depot. Out of the 36 driverless trainsets ordered for the Phase-2 network, 34 have already arrived at the depot. Metro officials expect the remaining two trainsets to be delivered by the end of July.

Before any of these driverless trains can enter passenger service, they must undergo six stages of mandatory testing. Chennai Metro officials are currently conducting these tests both at the Poonamallee depot and along the corridor to ensure the fleet is fully certified for operations.

The mandatory testing process includes routine static tests and routine dynamic tests. Following these initial assessments, the trains undergo signalling and telecommunications (S&T) static tests, S&T dynamic tests, integration tests, and final service trials. These six stages are designed to verify that the trains and their signalling systems function safely under standard operating conditions.

According to Chennai Metro officials, the preparation of the 15 designated trains for the Poonamallee Bypass–Vadapalani corridor is well underway.

"We have received 34 trains and the remaining two will arrive this month. Fifteen trains have been planned for operations on the Poonamallee Bypass–Vadapalani corridor. We are ready for the inauguration," a Metro official said.

While the technical preparations and safety certifications are complete, the official launch date remains pending. Chennai Metro officials have already sent a request to the Central Government to finalise the inauguration date. Local authorities are currently awaiting a response from the Centre to officially open the line to the public.